


Sparks

by winter_sunlight



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Music Video: MAMA (EXO)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 12:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_sunlight/pseuds/winter_sunlight
Summary: Baekhyun's afraid of the dark. Jongdae helps.





	Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd, so there may be a few errors, but this fandom can always use more baekchen

Baekhyun wakes up to darkness. He instantly reaches for his phone, relaxing in its brightness. It’s at 17%. He unplugs his nightlight, then tightens the bulb a bit before plugging it back in. Nothing. With reluctance to get rid of his last bit of sleepiness, he clicks on his lamp. The light doesn’t come on.

He tenses. They had lost power. Baekhyun, the child of light that he is, naturally is afraid of the dark. But his masters, who have been teaching him how to control his powers since he was sixteen, don’t sympathize with him. They want him to conquer his fears, which is all fine and good, except for the fact that he isn’t sure where to start and is too embarrassed to ask for help. So he’s a child of light that is so scared of the dark, he can’t use magic in it.

But since his phone’s keeping the darkness at bay, he holds out his hand palm up and closes his eyes, trying to tap into his inner light. He only manages to make his palm tingle with magic.

11%. His phone always turns itself off at 7%. His hands are getting sweaty. He should see Jongdae: he’s too nice to really be mad if he’s woken up. Besides, the man’s a human phone charger.

Baekhyun slips out of his room. 10%. He passes the metal door that belongs to Chanyeol (somehow Chanyeol had managed to accidentally turn his original door into firewood). He hesitates for a moment, considering to ask Chanyeol to start a small fire he could sleep near. But he hears rhythmic bed creaks. Kyungsoo must be visiting.

9%. He passes a few more doors until he stands outside of Jongdae’s. He knocks and waits. He hears some shuffling, perhaps some muttered swears. Then Jongdae appears.

“Hey.” Baekhyun had tried to make his voice sound cute and chipper, but just sounds vaguely uncertain instead. Jongdae is barely awake. There is no way he’s going to be able to charge his phone past 20%.

“Did we lose power?”

Baekhyun nods. “I was wondering if I could stay with you. Like until I fall asleep.”

“Then you want me to carry you back to your room? How about you stay the night?”

8%. “My phone’s gonna die.” His heartbeat pulses through his body.

Jongdae leads him to his bed, then rummages through his nightstand’s drawer before taking out a small light bulb. He summons sparks to his fingertips, making the light turn on. Baekhyun stares. “What?” Jongdae asks as he settles onto the bed, back against the headboard. “I figured this might happen.”

Baekhyun is touched – truly. All the other times they had lost power had been during thunderstorms. Jongdae’s so powerful during them that he can power all of the lights in their dorm. But this single bulb required extra thought that even Baekhyun hadn’t put in.

He curls up under the covers, relishing in the fact that Jongdae’s bed is already warm.

“Now go to sleep,” Jongdae whispers, “I can only keep this up for so long.”

“Thank you.” Baekhyun gives him a smile before closing his eyes and willing sleep to take him. But it’s very hard to go to sleep when there’s a time limit. His worry that he won’t be able to fall asleep fast enough gnaws at his stomach. So when time passes, he notices how the glow begins to flicker. He opens one eye - just a crack, so Jongdae won’t notice.

It turns out his precaution is unnecessary. Jongdae is putting every ounce of energy he has into the bulb and wouldn’t notice if Baekhyun got out of bed. But he’s tired. His powers are one of the more taxing ones.

The light goes out. Baekhyun takes a sharp breath. Jongdae sighs. “You’re still up?”

Baekhyun nervously laughs. He can’t think of anything else to do. Jongdae’s phone is always dead until he touches it. Now that he’s thinking of it, he’s pretty sure Junmyeon has a flashlight, but Baekhyun hates people seeing him weak. Jongdae’s an exception. They’ve taken so many nighttime road trips chasing thunderstorms together. It’s Baekhyun’s responsibility to bring his friend down from the high that comes with the power surge the storms give him - not that he would miss the trips for the world, they make Jongdae too happy. But sometimes those trips bring them to lifeless deserts where there isn’t a single streetlight to be found. Jongdae stays close to him during those times, his skin charged with enough power that it lightly zaps Baekhyun like static electricity. Seeking Jongdae out is now his first instinct when he’s scared.  But now it appears that even he is at a loss for how to help him. Baekhyun feels a lump in his throat. The darkness is going to consume him.

“Come here.” Jongdae’s words become an anchor. Baekhyun sits up and allows himself to be pressed into Jongdae’s chest. His tension ebbs a little. It’s hard not to feel safe when being held by a friend who smells like a storm. Jongdae shushes him. “It’s alright. Nothing can touch you while I’m here.” Baekhyun nods. He knows that.

Jongdae starts singing in his lower register. It’s what naturally comes to him, like thunder after lightning. The warmth of his voice melts Baekhyun’s tension, so Baekhyun sings with him – first harmonizing, then doing duets, then trying to out sing him.

“Shut up!” Kyungsoo’s voice comes from the other side of the wall.

Baekhyun laughs. “You’d think he’d be happier after being fucked.”

“It was probably your voice that did him in.” Jongdae smiles. “It think it cracked when you tried to hit C5.”

“Did not.” But Baekhyun is smiling back anyway.

Jongdae’s smile slowly slips as he pauses in thought. “Baekhyun, could you try summoning light for me?”

“But I’ve never-”

“I know,” he says gently, “but I think this time might be different.” With a deep breath, Baekhyun puts his hand out between them and closes his eyes. “Don’t do that.” Jongdae tilts Baekhyun’s chin up, causing Baekhyun to look at him. “Now try.”

A sphere of light rises from Baekhyun’s hand, bathing them in its white glow. Baekhyun looks at what he’s done in amazement before looking back at Jongdae. His friend has a brilliant smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes.

That night Baekhyun falls asleep with light glowing in his palm and an urge to kiss the friend that is holding him close.


End file.
